Six Fun Ways to Celebrate the Irish Culture with your Family
Who better to turn to than Irish Dancing Magazine when looking for "pandemic friendly" ideas for St. Patrick's Day 2021?
1) Start Your Own SMALL Parade - Socially Distanced of course!
The McGing School in Cincinnati was disappointed when their parade was cancelled just three days before it was to take place in 2020 but that didn’t stop them from celebrating. Dance teacher Mary McGing Duckworth, her daughter, Madeline, and two family members hosted their own parade on a street near their home. This was such a fun activity, and safe for the neighbours, too!
“This year looks like I will be hosting my own event again, but it will be a bit bigger as many of my dancers and their families will be doing the same thing we did last year, parading down our streets,” shared an excited Mary. “Everyone loves a parade.”
In 2020, McGing was not the only school with this fun, pandemic-safe activity. In Suffolk County, New York the Mulvihill Lynch School of Irish Dance did not want to let parade cancellations get them down. World-class dancer Maggie Webber, with the help of her mum, dance teacher Debbie Lynch-Webber, decided to surprise family and friends with their own parade.
To make the makeshift parade official looking, Maggie wore a leprechaun costume owned by the family (all families have one of those just on hand – right – LOL!?). Maggie jumped on the back of her brother’s pickup truck and the family slowly made their way down the streets of their neighbourhood. With some good Irish music blasting and a bit of dancing, and they lit up their area with smiles.
“Because it was the start of lockdown and everyone was at their wits' end with worry, we saw nothing but smiles and waves. We put an amp on the back of the truck and blasted out Tell Me Ma. People would come out of their houses and wave. It was amazing and heartwarming,” shared Debbie.
Fortunately, this year with the pandemic more under control, Debbie believes they may have one or two local performances, but sadly, she does not see a return to nursing homes any time in the near future unless dancers can perform outside for residents.
2) Family Photo Shoot
You can still put on your fabulous St. Patrick’s Day gear and get a beautiful photo that is both memory- and Christmas card-worthy! Much of the world finds decent weather on St. Patrick’s Day so this is a fun opportunity for your family.
Schedule a professional photographer as they are seeking clients, so you will also help support artists who are struggling during the pandemic!
Share your St. Patrick’s Day photo shoot on social media and tag #Idm and #irishdancingmagazine and you may be featured on our social media!
3) Watch the Go Irish Dance – The Global Search for Talent Awards
Irish Dancing Magazine kicked off a Global Search for Talent on 1st February 2021. Information on the contest can be found on the website www.goirishdance.com.
A select number of entries will be showcased on the magazine’s social media on Facebook & Instagram (@irishdancingmagazine) beginning at noon CST on March 17, 2021. And results will be shared too!
Tune into IDM’s YouTube channel to catch a view of the talented Irish Dancers and Trad Irish Musicians too! From ages 4 through adult, you will be wow'd by the creativity of the dancers and musicians who entered the Go Irish Dance - Global Talent Search contest!
4) Watch an Irish Dance Favourite – Jig, the Movie
Later in the evening, make some popcorn and have a family movie night watching the favourite movie of Irish Dancers – Jig, The Movie.
The film can be found for free on various Youtube channels, This is an inspiring inside view into the wonderful world of competitive Irish Dancing.
5) Learn to Irish Dance
Not only is this great exercise, but it is great fun too. Head to IDM’s YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/irishdancingmagazine and here you will find two excellent tutorials on the Irish Jig, This is the easiest dance to learn and the first dance all beginners learn when they begin Irish Dance lessons.
If you are brave enough to get videoed, upload your video to Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #watchmejig and YOU may be showcased on Irish Dancing Magazine’s social media! Check out our most recent tutorial below!
***Find an Irish Dance class for a beginner, ages 3+ or even an adult (great exercise and fun) on Irish Dancing Magazine's school listing page!' Tis a great time to sign up for lessons! ***
6) Become an Irish "PRO" Baker with Marie and Maggie!
Why not try making some traditional Irish soda bread or Irish Wheaten bread? Watch Irish Dancing Magazine’s intern, Maggie Webber, and her adorable grandmother, Marie, make two of their family recipes on Irish Dancing Magazine's Youtube channel.
Visit Irish Dancing Magazine’s YouTube channel to watch a step-by-step instructional video where you will learn the secret of Irish baking.
If you don't feel like watching the videos, follow the recipe below to wow your family with some authentic Irish soda bread. Don't forget to eat it while it is warm and be sure to add some Kerrygold butter to it! Yum!
Marie’s Irish Soda Bread:
Ingredients
31/4 cups of all-purpose flour3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 cup of corn oil or butter
1 teaspoon of vanilla
11/2 cups of buttermilk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon of salt
1 box of raisins
Step 1 – Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 350˚F (177˚C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
Step 2 – Dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
Step 3 – Wet ingredients. In a separate bowl mix the eggs together well. Add the corn oil. Next, stir in the buttermilk and vanilla, mixing all the wet ingredients together.
Step 4 – The raisins. Take a box of raisins, put them into a bowl and break them up. Add a couple of tablespoons of flour to them to help them stay separated. Mix thoroughly.
Step 5 – Mix raisins into dry mixture. Mix the floured raisins into the dry ingredients bowl. You do not need to use all the raisins – it depends on how 'raisin-y' you want your soda bread.
Step 6 – Add wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients bowl. Add a bit at a time and work into the dry ingredients until all the wet ingredients have been worked well into the dry.
Step 7 – Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet. In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an 'X' into the top of the loaf.
Step 8 – Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean (45 to 50 minutes). Give it a check after 30 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.
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